Names and shamed: South Australian gym junkies who have gone bad

From a personal trainer turned dial-a-dealer to a steroid user who bashed a pub patron, these fitness enthusiasts went from gym appearances to court appearances.

From a personal trainer turned dial-a-dealer to a steroid user who downed 30 drinks on a night out, some fitness enthusiasts go from gym appearances to court appearances.

These are the South Australia gym junkies who have ended up on the wrong side of the law.

Nathan Walker

Former personal trainer Nathan Stephen Walker, 33 was busted with a significant amount of cocaine and steroids became a prolific drug user after his life spiralled out of control.

The Adelaide District Court heard police searched Walker’s Brighton house on December 4, 2020.

They found three resealable bags in a shoebox, with a total of 34g of cocaine.

The estimated value was between $9000-$15,000.

Police also found testosterone, steroids, scales and more resealable bags.

Walker admitted that the cocaine was his, although denied selling the drug.

During sentencing, Judge Michael Burnett said he did not accept that the cocaine was all for Walker’s personal use.

“You commenced using cocaine casually when you left high school on occasional weekends,” Judge Burnett said.

“You also began associating with friends who took drugs, particularly cocaine, and encouraged you to do so.

“As to the steroids, you were in possession of them because of your interest in gym training and building up your muscles.”

Walker has previously worked as a personal trainer at a gym and currently works as a truck driver.

Walker, of Brighton, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and possessing a prescribed drug.

Judge Burnett sentenced Walker in February 2022, to two years and three months jail, with a non-parole period of 13 months.

It was suspended on a two-year, $500 good behaviour bond, with supervision for 12 months, due to Walker’s remorse and good prospects of rehabilitation.

Dale Lush

A steroid user who had consumed 30 standard drinks before bashing a patron at a northern suburbs hotel, leaving the victim with permanent injuries, will spend at least a year behind bars.

Dale Ryan Lush, 34, was jailed for one year and 11 months in the District Court in January 2022, and will need to serve at least a year and one month before becoming eligible for parole.

Lush pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and aggravated assault over the incident at the Salisbury Hotel on October 21, 2020.

He had been at the bar drinking with his partner and later said he estimated he had drunk around 30 standard drinks.

Dale Lush will spend at least a year in jail for an alcohol fuelled attack at a northern suburbs hotel. Picture: Facebook

Around 9.30pm Lush believed he heard a nearby patron say something offensive towards him.

Judge Ian Press in his sentencing remarks said that the victim had in fact not said anything, which was backed up by nearby witnesses.

“It does not make your behaviour any less serious,” he said.

“It provides no excuse or justification for the extremely aggressive and violent behaviour in which you then engaged.”

Lush attacked the man, punching him repeatedly to the face and continuing to assault him even after he had fallen backward.

Other patrons had to pull Lush from the victim.

Lush continued to be violent outside the hotel where he attacked a security guard.

Judge Press said the victim from inside the hotel had suffered two fractured eye sockets which required surgery.

The victim reported that his vision is still blurry and he has headaches which doctors believe could be permanent.

The security guard suffered bruising to his face and a damaged tooth.

Lush will be eligible for parole in February, 2023.

Arrod Westley

Rather than make match payments, this former Riverland football coach offered to pay one teammate in drugs instead.

Arrod Steven Westley pleaded guilty in the District Court to numerous drug trafficking offences after being caught by police with methamphetamine down his underpants in October 2015.

The talented footballer had coached the Lyrup Lions to a premiership in the 2015 season and was also a former coach of the Paringa Football Club.

But the court heard he “lost control” of a life that had “ran off the rails”.

He became a drug addict as he grappled with his relationship breakdown with the mother of his daughter, the court heard.

Arrod Steven Westley at the District Court. Picture. Greg Higgs

Prosecutors said while he mainly dealt drugs to friends and teammates, Westley also sold to other known dealers throughout the Riverland area.

Westley, who would use social media sites such as Facebook to arrange deals, was arrested by police on the Old Sturt Highway and was initially charged with 110 counts of drug trafficking after 10g of ice was found down his underpants.

He eventually pleaded guilty to 14 counts of drug trafficking and possessing drug equipment.

Westley was sentenced in 2016 to two years and three months in prison with a non-parole period of 12 months.

Despite Westley’s genuine contrition and co-operation with police, Judge Sophie David said the offending was too serious to suspend the jail term.

Natasha Cocks

A former personal trainer did not realise the drugs she sold had resulted in a man’s overdose until police came to speak to her several months later.

Natasha Cocks, 31, wept from the dock in the Adelaide District Court in August 2021, as she was jailed for dealing MDMA to a man that ended in tragedy.

Judge Simon Stretton told the court that Cocks was investigated after the overdose death of Brad Cooper on November 1, 2019.

“Text messages established that you were dealing drugs to him on a regular basis and on that day supplied him with a drug he took, which then killed him,” he said during sentencing.

Police raided Cocks’ house on April 14, 2020.

“They discovered you were trafficking both methamphetamine and cannabis … you were also detected with $3205 cash,” Judge Stretton said.

Natasha Cocks was sentenced for drug trafficking. Picture: Facebook

Police also found a significant amount of resealable bags, ice pipes and scales and analysed Cocks’ phone.

“That analysis established that you are a busy street level dealer of both cannabis and methamphetamine to a number of customers on an ongoing basis,” Judge Stretton said.

Cocks, of Morphett Vale, had previously pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and supplying drugs.

The court heard Cocks previously ran a personal training business before having health issues and is now a stay-at-home mother of three children.

Judge Stretton sentenced Cocks to jail for four years and three months, with a non-parole period of two years in August 2021.

However, Cocks had the rest of her jail sentence suspended by the Court of Appeal in March 2022, due to her positive rehabilitation efforts.

Chief Justice Chris Kourakis and Justices David Lovell and Sam Doyle set aside Cocks’ original sentence and sentenced her to two years and 10 months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and four months.

The sentence was suspended on a good behaviour bond, with supervision for 18 months.

Joshua McFarlane

Joshua John McFarlane, 30, was jailed in the Adelaide District Court, after the “powerful incentive” of caring for his terminally ill mother wasn’t enough to quit meth.

McFarlane, who pleaded guilty to assault and theft, was ordered in February, 2022, to serve his 13-month jail term, with a non-parole period of seven months on home detention.

A condition of McFarlane’s sentence was that he wasn’t allowed to consume illicit drugs.

The Adelaide District Court on Friday heard McFarlane had relapsed into methamphetamine use and returned positive drug tests.

Joshua McFarlane had his bail application adjourned until next month. Picture: Facebook

Indianna Davis, for McFarlane, previously told the court he said he hadn’t consumed methamphetamine on one occasion and must have passively inhaled it.

However, after the court received an expert’s opinion on Friday, it was determined that the levels of methamphetamine in McFarlane’s urine contradicted this.

“Regrettably, rather than using the proceedings to try to rehabilitate yourself you have gone the other way and succumbed to ongoing drug use,” Judge Muscat said.

Judge Muscat said despite the “power incentive” of caring for his sick mother, McFarlane had shown little regard for court orders.

McFarlane, of Morphett Vale, pleaded guilty to breaching his home detention order.

Judge Muscat said he had little confidence McFarlane would remain drug free on home detention if given another chance.

McFarlane will be required to serve over five months from May 2022, in custody before he is eligible for parole.

Ainsley Fairhead

A drink driver who drank a significant amount of wine after receiving some bad news is remorseful for then getting behind the wheel.

Ainsley Fairhead, 34, will be off the road for close to three years after she blew the highest blood-alcohol reading a magistrate has seen.

A police prosecutor told the court a witness heard a loud crashing noise at Glenelg South on December 9, 2020 at 3.30pm.

“He saw a light coloured car collide with a parked car on the side of the road,” the prosecutor said.

“He saw the female driver attempting to put the car into gear and managed to get it moving again … he watched her drive away with smoke coming from the tyres as it rubbed against the bodywork of the vehicle.”

Ainsley Fairhead was disqualified from driving for 33-months in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday. Picture: Facebook

The witness reported the incident to police who arrived and found Fairhead a short distance away.

Fairhead was breathalysed and returned a reading of 0.315.

She was issued with an immediate 12-month licence disqualification.

“She states she only had two drinks of red wine,” the prosecutor said.

Fairhead, of Glenelg North, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday to drink driving and driving without due care.

The court heard Fairhead works at an insurance company, as well as running her own personal training business called Ainsley Fairhead Strength and Conditioning.

The court heard Fairhead, who has a previous drink driving conviction, sought a referral for an alcohol counselling service after the incident.

Mr Alexandrides fined Fairhead $1600 and disqualified her from driving for 33-months in July 2021.

“This is the highest blood-alcohol reading I have had to deal with in my history as a magistrate,” Mr Alexandrides said.

“It’s fortunate that you were not seriously injured or killed in a collision.”

Convictions were recorded.